[bat-uh-ree] 
| 1. | Electricity.
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| 2. | any large group or series of related things: a battery of questions. |
| 3. | Military.
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| 4. | a group or series of similar articles, machines, parts, etc. |
| 5. | Baseball. the pitcher and catcher considered as a unit. |
| 6. | Navy.
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| 7. | Psychology. a series of tests yielding a single total score, used for measuring aptitude, intelligence, personality, etc. |
| 8. | the act of beating or battering. |
| 9. | Law. an unlawful attack upon another person by beating or wounding, or by touching in an offensive manner. |
| 10. | an instrument used in battering. |
| 11. | Also, batterie. Music. the instruments comprising the percussion section of an orchestra. |
| 12. | any imposing group of persons or things acting or directed in unison: a battery of experts. |
| voltaic battery n. An electric battery composed of a primary cell or cells. |
A device that produces an electric current by harnessing the chemical reactions that take place within its cells.
battery bat·ter·y (bāt'ə-rē)
n.
The act of beating or pounding.
An array of similar things intended for use together, such as achievement tests.
battery (bāt'ə-rē) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) A device containing an electric cell or a series of electric cells storing energy that can be converted into electrical power (usually in the form of direct current). Common household batteries, such as those used in a flashlight, are usually made of dry cells (the chemicals producing the current are made into a paste). In other batteries, such as car batteries, these chemicals are in liquid form. Our Living Language : A battery stores chemical energy, which it converts to electrical energy. A typical battery, such as a car battery, is composed of an arrangement of galvanic cells. Each cell contains two metal electrodes, separate from each other, immersed within an electrolyte containing both positive and negative ions. A chemical reaction between the electrodes and the electrolyte, similar to that found in electroplating, takes place, and the metals dissolve in the electrolyte, leaving electrons behind on the electrodes. However, the metals dissolve at different rates, so a greater number of electrons accumulate at one electrode (creating the negative electrode) than at the other electrode (which becomes the positive electrode). This gives rise to an electric potential between the electrodes, which are typically linked together in series and parallel to one another in order to provide the desired voltage at the battery terminals (12 volts, for example, for a car battery). The buildup of charge on the electrodes prevents the metals from dissolving further, but if the battery is hooked up to an electric circuit through which current may flow, electrons are drawn out of the negative electrodes and into the positive ones, reducing their charge and allowing further chemical reactions. |